“Reducing Food Made It More Dangerous!” The Secret to Pet Weight Loss Revealed by Ansim-i

Hello! I am Ansim-i, the Chief Researcher at the Magentalab Pet Behavior Institute! It is a great pleasure to meet you, pet parents, who are always working hard for the health of your lovely furry friends. Whenever I pick up my magnifying glass to closely observe your pets’ daily lives, I can truly feel your deep love for them.

Lately, many of you might find your pets’ chubby backsides adorable, but then suddenly worry, “Is this putting too much strain on their joints?” or “Is this a red flag for their health?” and decide it is time for a diet! However, being overly eager and thinking, “I should cut their food portion drastically starting today!” and forcing a sudden fast can be a very dangerous choice. Shall we dive scientifically into why starvation diets are dangerous with Ansim-i?

1. Starving Them Blindly? A Shortcut to Ruining Their Body!

Just as humans feel weak and strain their bodies when they suddenly starve, our dogs and cats are the same. A severe restriction diet, especially suddenly cutting their food to less than half, puts immense stress on their bodies.

When nutritional supply is abruptly halted, the body perceives it as a state of emergency. Instead of fat, it breaks down muscle (protein) first to use as energy. Ultimately, their basal metabolic rate drops, causing a “yo-yo effect” (weight cycling) where they gain weight easily even from eating very little. Since their immunity also drops, a mild virus that they could easily fight off normally might lead to a severe illness, so you must never starve them!

2. ‘Hepatic Lipidosis,’ Especially Fatal to Cats

While starving is dangerous for dogs, it becomes a deadly weapon that threatens the life of cats. Cat parents must absolutely remember this!

If a chubby cat suddenly starves or their food intake drops drastically, the fat accumulated in their body rushes to the liver all at once to create energy. The cat’s liver cannot handle this overwhelming surge of fat, leading to a condition called ‘Hepatic Lipidosis’ (fatty liver disease) where fat accumulates in the liver cells. It is accompanied by jaundice, vomiting, and severe lethargy, and it is a terrifying disease with a very high mortality rate if the treatment window is missed. Cats can develop acute hepatic lipidosis after fasting for just 24 to 48 hours, so extreme fasting is absolutely forbidden!

3. Ansim-i’s Recommended Roadmap for Healthy Weight Loss

Then how can they lose weight safely and healthily? Ansim-i suggests a safe, verified method from our institute!

① Goal: Lose 1-2% of body weight per week!

Rapid weight loss is dangerous. If your dog currently weighs 10kg, aiming to lose about 100g to 200g per week is the most ideal. Please do not rush; take it slow.

② Calculate the recommended daily food amount

Rather than blindly reducing their current food amount, you should calculate and feed them based on their Resting Energy Requirement (RER) for their ‘target weight.’ We highly recommend utilizing veterinary diet prescription food, as it lowers calories while maintaining a sense of fullness thanks to high fiber content, without drastically reducing the volume of food!

③ Reduce treats and use healthy alternatives

Treats should not exceed 10% of their total daily caloric intake. If it is hard to cut out treats, try feeding them boiled broccoli or cabbage, which have almost zero calories, or very tiny pieces of freeze-dried diet treats.

4. A Tailored, Stress-Free Exercise Routine

Increasing an appropriate amount of physical activity along with diet control is the key to weight loss without the yo-yo effect!

■ Dogs: Light walks on flat paths and nosework

For an overweight dog with weakened joints, steep hiking trails or vigorous tug-of-war games can be poisonous. We recommend light walks on flat neighborhood paths for 15 minutes, 2 to 3 times a day. Utilizing nosework toys (puzzle toys) by hiding low-calorie treats around the house to encourage them to move on their own is also an excellent exercise.

■ Cats: Maximizing feather wand play

Since it is difficult to walk cats outdoors, the pet parent’s effort indoors is essential! Using a feather wand toy 3 to 4 times a day for 10 to 15 minutes at a time, mimic a mouse crawling on the floor and move it quickly side-to-side, rather than making them jump high up. Placing cat trees to utilize vertical space is also a great help in increasing their voluntary exercise.

5. When You Absolutely Need a Veterinary Consultation

If they are not losing weight at all despite your hard work controlling their diet and exercising them, or if only their belly seems to be bulging, there might be another underlying cause.

For dogs, their weight can increase abnormally when they have endocrine disorders like hypothyroidism or Cushing’s syndrome. Also, if your pet becomes excessively lethargic during the diet, shows symptoms of jaundice (the insides of their ears or gums turning yellow), or experiences anorexia for more than 24 to 48 hours, you must stop the diet immediately and visit your veterinarian for a thorough examination.

Please remember that dieting for the healthy lives of our precious dogs and cats is not a short sprint, but a ‘leisurely marathon’! Ansim-i will always cheer on the healthy steps of our pet parents and beautiful furry friends!